Bill-file



(No Model.)

E. L. MATTHEWS.

BILL FILE.

k w m a a A P M m r f M 8.. O 3 Hm m N be of a length equal to theentire length of the 'NITED STATES EDWIN L. MATTHEWS, OF ADA, MINNESOTA.

BILL-FILE.

PATENT OFF CE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,716, dated May 15,1888.

1 Application filed November 10, 1887. Serial No. 254,767. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. MATTHEWS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the village of Ada, county of Norman, State ofMinnesota, have invented a certain new and useful ImprovementinBill-Files, of which the following is a specification, reference beingbad to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to office files and filecases; and it has for itsobject to provide a. file which will give easy access to the papers whenit is in use, and which will secure the papers in a closed case andprotect them from displacement and dust when not in use. My constructionfor this purpose is simple, economical, and efficient, and'consists,broadly, in providing an expansible bellows-file with anextensible-case.

In the drawings, like letters referring to like parts, Figure l is aperspective view of my invention as it appears when the lid is raisedand the case is extended. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the case as itappears with the bellows-file and the lid removed and a part of thefront end and one of the slides broken away, and Fig. 3 is a plan ofFig. 1 with the,

lid and the central partof the bellows-file removed.

A is the body of the case, in shape like an ordinary oblong box ordrawer with the front end removed.

, Bis the front end. In the bottom a and the sides a a of the box A aredovetailed grooves Gand D, adapted to receive and securely hold suitableslides. Of these grooves there may be any suitable number. I have showntwo in the bottom and one on the interior surface ofeach side. To theend B are rigidly attached a set of beveled slides, E and F, adapted tofit the grooves O and D. Of these the slides E are attached to the loweredge of the end B and work in the grooves O, and the slides F areattached edgewise to the outer edge of the end B and work in the groovesD. These.

grooves O and D and the slides E and F may box or less, as desired. Itis evident that the end B may be moved toward the body of the boxA untilit meets the front ends of the bot tom a and the sides a and a"; or itmay be withdrawn in the opposite direction, extending the interior ofthe case, by the skeleton formed out of the slides E and F.

Gis a bellows-file composed of a series of vertical card-board or woodendivisions connected at their ends by flexible material. It is thusexpansible and compressible. If so desired, the lower edges ofthedivision-pieces may also be connected by flexible material. Thesecompartments may be marked with letters or numbers or in any othersuitable manner, according to the classification in'hand. Thisbellows-file is placed inside the case A B, and its opposite ends aresecured in any suitable manner toithe inner surfaces of the ends of thecase. In the construction shown I use lugs H for the purpose, placingthem in proper position in the ends of the case to grasp the outer edgesof the'end boards of the bellowsfile. This makes adetachableconnection,and one file can be removed and another inserted at will. v

K is a case-lid pivotally attached to the rear end of the box, and is ofproper length to cover the entire case when contracted to its smallestcompass.

The operation of the device is clear from the description already given.As one end of the bellows-file is attached to the relatively fixed partA and the other end to the movable part B, it is evident that when thecase is extended the file is expanded, and reversely. The file may thusbe used until it is filled to its utmost capacity when compressed or thecase is closed, and yet afford easy access to any paper by simplyextending the caseand expanding the file.

This is a device of great convenience and service in banks, offices,stores, and generally wherever itis necessary or desirable to keep alarge number of classified papers in a small compass.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. The combination, With an extensiblebillfile case consisting,essentially, of a pair of telescoping parts, of a removable bellowsbillfile detachably connected at its opposite ends to the end walls ofthe telescoping parts of said case, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the box-like body A,

having its front end removed and provided with the grooves O D, the endB, provided with the slides E and F, working in said grooves, and thebellows-file G, attached at one end to the relatively fixed part A andat 5 the other to the relatively movable part B, as

and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with a bill-file case, a bellows bill-file adapted tofit the same and having end boards provided with projecting outer toedges, and hook-shaped lugs secured in the 7 ends of said case in pairswith their hookshaped portions facing each other and adapted todetaehably secure the ends of the bellowsfile to the ends of the case,as and for the pur- 1 5 pose set forth.

4. The extensible bill-file case and expansi EDVIN L. MATTHEVS.

In presence of-- W. H. MArrHEWs, FRANK F. S. MILLER.

